Many thanks to Mark for this one. The Hi-Life Companion are from Bristol - which is, of course, the home of Sarah Records - and feature ex-members of Airport Girl and the Mayfields so when their 2009 debut album Say Yes! arrived I was fully expecting a collection of basically straightforward indiepop/twee tunes. To my surprise it's a lot more elaborate than that. The twee element is there, of course, but the band's influences are drawn from a number of sources including folk, baroque pop and there's a hint of shoegaze here and there too, in the fuzzy guitars. Irish listeners may be reminded of Ham Sandwich, although I suspect Ham Sandwich are eventually going to turn into the Cranberries and it's pretty safe to assume the Hi-Life Companion won't.
This particular track, believe it or not, manages to simultaneously make me think of Ham Sandwich, the Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You", "Kundalini Express" by Love & Rockets, and ELO! Clearly, a band able to pick up the best bits from everywhere.
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